In a Fix

Confession time: I have a bit of an addictive personality. Thankfully it's less of the literal chemical dependency kind of addition, and more of an intense love and pursuit of a few favorite things. I often start grilling another grilled cheese before I've finished my first, I have no problem listening to a current favorite song on repeat five times in a row, and just the sound of a coke can opening makes my heart happy.

It's simple joys.....Three more loves: I love surprises. I love packages in the mail. I love clothes.

And as it turns out, I'm not the only one. (imagine that...)
And as it also turns out, there is a brilliant company that saw addicts like me coming, and invented Stitch Fix. Not familiar? Think of it as a 17 Magazine quiz, meets personal shopper, mixed with a mystery goodie bag...

....and now you can start to understand how I could get addicted.

It's basically a box of clothes and accessories that are handpicked for you based on your preferences, and shipped directly to you for easy in-house shopping. Here's how it works: you sign up, fill out a style profile, pony up $20, and wait for the fashion to roll in.

Yep. It's pretty much that simple.The survey asks a TON of questions about your style and your shape, in order to tailor your box to your unique wants and needs.

Snapshot of my style survey. 

After you spill your fashion guts (they ask everything from your weight to your opinion on polka dots) you schedule "a fix"- a box of five items chosen just for you! You can try everything on at home (no scary fluorescent lights), you can test things out with the rest of your existing wardrobe (avoiding the guessing game of whether this top will really go with those pants.) and there's no hassle (free shipping! no lines!). If you want to purchase something, your $20 styling fee is applied as a credit toward the purchase of anything in your box. If not, you just toss anything you don't want back in the box, and send it back (free returns!).
 
I first heard about the idea from fellow blogger and Pittsburgh mama, Kacia, and I'll admit, I was a little skeptical at first. I mean, paying $20 for what basically amounts to a blind date with clothes? (You just have to meet....I know you'll be a perfect fit....Just trust me!) I wasn't so sure..But there was something irresistible about the dress-up adventure of it all (again: surprises, mail, clothes....I'm powerless), so I took a chance.

And a few days later, I got my first fix!

I'm pretty much like a five year old on Christmas morning whenever I get a package in the mail, so I wasted no time tearing into my box and rummaging through the tissue paper to see what treasures StitchFix had in store for me.

And first out of the box...were these jazzy little numbers...

And that's when I started to get nervous.

These are bad, right? Like, not my style, not anyone's style B-A-D. I mean, unless you count characters from the Cosby show, or elderly garage sale enthusiasts, I cannot imagine anyone wearing these. Just bad.

My big balloon of enthusiasm had sprung a slow leak....But I kept unpacking, hopeful that the earrings were a fluke, and better style awaited. The next item out of the box:

And "out of the box" is right. This thing was so far out of my comfort zone I had a hard time even understading what it was exactly. Turns out it's a black sweater-knit tank with gold thread. Oh- and it's backless.

Naturally.

Perfect for a night out at a Steeler bar? Absolutely. Appropriate for my life? Not even close.

(It was around this stage in the process that I texted my friend and fellow StitchFix-er, Meg, something along the lines of "AT WHAT POINT DID I TELL STITCHFIX I WAS A HOOKER?!" She insisted upon an immediate Skype session, where she proceeded to confirm all my fears. This was bad, friends. Really bad.)

See that face? That is not the face 

By now my excitement balloon was starting to wheeze, as it continued to deflate...But there were still more items. More chances for redemption. My third piece:

Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum, right? One minute I'm blingin' in a skimpy sweater tank, the next I'm blanketed in four layers of navy polyester. Now, honestly, this one doesn't look so bad in pictures...but the effect in person is a bit too "Big Love meets GoGo Dancer" for my taste.

I mean- check out these sleeves!

My balloon was now not only deflating, but whooshing around the room like a crazed bumble bee as my disappointment mounted. But we weren't done yet...Perhaps this could still be salvaged.

Ok, stop the leak. Now we were getting somewhere.This piece wasn't hideous. Actually, it was downright pretty and it fit well, taking it light years ahead of the last few missteps. But it still just wasn't really me. It's dressier than I ever really have the need to be (but then again, I borderline wear sweatpants to work some days, so some slight gussying up wouldn't exactly kill me) and I'm not really a black lace girl.

I could definitely see it on some of my friends though, so I'll give StitchFix a B for effort on this one. (no that's not really a saying, but an A just seems too generous. Like a trophy just for participating. Can't get behind that.)

Four down, one to go. My balloon of hope was now more of a latex raisin of hesitation. All my fix-fears rested on this final item. But thankfully, they saved the best for last:

Let's evaluate: 

• Great color
• Cozy cowl neck
• Casual but polished
• Cool bohemian artsy vibe

This I can work with. Break out the helium, my hope was lifting off again. 

Yep. This one has definite potential. It works with my style (and by that I mean: I can wear it with jeans), but it's enough of a stretch that I wasn't 100% sold right away. I think that's a good thing. A little push out of my standard fare. It's got a quirkly little hem line that may or may not make it look like I'm wearing an art smock...upside-down...But again, I kind of dig it.

So that's my first fix. Judging by the drama of it all, you might also think it would be my last fix, but joking aside, it was actually pretty fun, and I did get one piece out of it that I like. Plus, when I emailed StitchFix to tell them I was a little less than thrilled (I tried to be honest, but at least managed to steer clear of the words Hooker or Fundamentalist Cult Member in describing their choices)- they were really understanding and helpful:

"We're so sorry to hear that we've disappointed you:( We really appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback. I want you to know that our stylists really do care about packing great Fixes and listening to your comments, thus I talked to your stylist to get a better idea of why she sent you the items she did. You were ranked high in boho, classic and casual and everything else had a lower ranking, so she really focused on boho casual in styling you, while giving you pieces with a funky twist (as mentioned in your notes).  

Maybe if you would like to provide us with a little more direction about what you are looking for? I would be happy to add as much information about your style preferences as you would like to your profile. :) Often times, information like links to pinterest profiles, stores you shop at, celebrity styles you would like to emulate and blogs all better help us in pinpoint your style. Please forward along any style preferences, aesthetics or links that can help us! Sometimes, it just takes us a try or two to really "get" your style!"

See? It almost makes me forget those hideous earrings. Almost.

Plus, they provide a form for feedback for every item, in multiple categories, as well as an overall rating, so that they can do better the next time.

I'll definitely give it another try (addict, remember?), but I'm making some revisions to my style survey that I hope will help my "stylist" nail my look a bit more accurately. In looking back on my profile, I realized that my responses could have been part of the problem. I think I was a little worried about being too rigid and narrow-minded, so I left things a bit too open to interpretation. I didn't want to eliminate too many things because I worried I wouldn't get the best selection, but by not being totally honest, I made it impossible for them to really understand my style. 

So for the next round I'm making some tweaks: 

• Avoiding jewelry- I truly don't need any more baubles (I know...can you imagine me turning down jewelry?!) and my taste is particular at best when it comes to stuff like that, it might be better to just steer clear of that whole arena for now. 
• Saying no to black and red. They're not always terrible for me. But they're a risk I just don't need to take.
• Limiting the number of categories I'm open to. It's not true that I "never" wear dressy things, but it is true that I don't need anything in that vein. 
• Being honest about who I am. I felt pressure to sound "cool", and hoped it would help me receive more unique items in my box. But I think I would have been better off sticking more accurately to the true core of my style. Checking a box that says "Edgy" is "not me at all" doesn't literally mean I've given up all rights to be anything other than a twinset loving sorority girl. It just means they may think twice next time before sending me a backless sweater tank. The style survey is not the final word on who I am as a woman- it's just a tool to help a stylist stranger pick out good stuff for me to have fun with playing dress up.

So what about you guys? Are you intrigued? Scared? Jonesing for a "fix?"
Are there any other (shopping) junkies out there looking for a quick mail order (fashion) high? 

Give it a shot! You just might get addicted....

DIY Baby Leg Warmers {@ My Sister's Suitcase}

Hi friends! Today I'm guest posting over at My Sister's Suitcase. Nat and Holly were kind enough to feature Piper's nursery gallery wall last week, and now I'm thrilled to be back on their blog sharing a DIY how to. Want a peek at what we're up to?

I'm showing you how to turn this:

Into this:

Wait a minute...that just looks like we're making a mess of the laundry....How about this:

Head on over to My Sister's Suitcase for the full post.

Oh- and if you found your way here from their site-I'm so happy to have you! Feel free to poke around and stay a while! Here's a bit about who we are, and what we do (you know....when we're not chasing this adorable little bum around...)

 

Enjoy!

P.s. check back tomorrow for another fashion-fix, this time for grown-ups! (oooh the suspense...)

{31 Things} Day 14: View

Early morning view from last week: Dustin's...Mine. 

Hard to say which one is worse.

...The fuzzy top of my daughter's head as she snuggles up for breakfast in the faint light of dawn...

...An unoccupied pillow and mess of sheets that mean Dustin is taking the early shower/Piper shift...

...Dew covered leaves out my bathroom window that serve as a double check of the weather...

...Dull white tile, reminding me a renovation can't be far away...

...Stacks of neutral t's and piles of silver bangles, waiting their turn in the outfit rotation...

...Matching faces, as Dustin and Piper spend the morning babbling together...

...A big two toothed grin- her way of saying "bye mama! Have a good day!"...

...The steely skyline of a bygone era, the peaceful shores of a river, and the slow moving train cars I pass on my morning commute...

...A dumpster heap of a desk, covered with literal piles of work spilling over from day to day...

...Faces, of coworkers eager to start the day, or catch up on weekend gossip. Screens- of my laptop, monitor and phone- all blinging with notifications to attend to (or waste time on)...

...The blank walls of a conference room three times a day while I pump milk for my girl...

...The bottom of my lunch bag, after I've ravaged through all my snacks too soon...

...Window panes, framing 3D realizations of my once fuzzy ideas...

...The clock. Constantly checking the time as another day flies by...

...Taillights, as I sit in traffic on the way home...

...Clutter. Tasks to complete, laundry to do, dishes to wash all stare at me, vying for attention...

...My family's smiles, full of food as we share a meal and our day's events...

...A tower of blocks, a stack of books, a pj footed baby as we wind down for the day...

...A guilty pleasure or much needed zone out break courtesy of pirated online tv...

...My messy reflection, which has taken a beating by day's end...

...The dark walls of my bedroom, illuminated slightly by the green glow of the bedside monitor, signaling the babe is peacefully asleep...

Put a Ring On It

Let's take a quick break from all things baby, for some really important news:

My friend Erin is engaged!

To a doctor!

 A really great, kind, funny doctor named Jake!

We Bowdens couldn't be more excited for the Coopers-to-be. This calls for a celebration- and when a Bowden is celebrating, you can be sure there is going to be food.

Enter- engagement cookies!

The second I heard the big news, I knew I wanted to make engagement ring cookies (previously, I've made plain sugar cookie hands, and added icing "rings") But when I went to dig out my hand shaped cookie cutter I came up empty (I do however have more animal shapes than the Pittsburgh zoo. Happy engagement penguin anyone?) so I thought this time I'd try something new.. A quick google search later and I had found a winner: diamond ring shaped sparklers!

Photo from Bake at 350

Beautiful, no? I'm no cookie pro, but I was up for the challenge. I've made iced cookies once before- to announce my pregnancy to my office- and they turned out not bad (if I do say so....and I do) so I was excited to try again with a new design.

Pea Pods and Baby B's (for Bowden)

In addition to decorating the cookies, I decided to up the ante and make the dough from scratch (I'm pretty much a Pillsbury pre-made kind of girl). I know, not exactly rocket science for you baking whizes out there, but it was a pretty big step for a relative novice like me.

I'll spare you the long drawn out story, and just tell you- they turned out great (again, if I do say so...) but were a bit of an experiment, so I learned some things along the way. Interested in making your own? Stop over to Bake at 350 for the official how-to, but here are my messes and successes:

• Cookie dough recipe: a random find, but it was highly rated, so I gave it a shot. It was easy, not overly sweet, the cookies didn't spread and turned out pretty perfect.

• Cookie cutter: Sur La Table has a million choices, and they're all a dollar! It was hard not to buy them all...

(it was also hard not to buy this apron- how badly 

did I want to play 50's homemaker for the day?)

• Royal icing recipe: Last time I attempted these, I found this recipe on the joy of baking that is so simple. I prefer the meringue powder kind to the egg version. It can be a bit hard to find, but I think it's easier to work with and actually gives the finished icing a subtle glimmer. (If your regular grocery store doesn't carry it, look for it at Sur La Table or Michaels/JoAnn's in the baking section).

• Tools: Ziplock sandwich bags. Yep. Fancy like that. I don't have real pastry bags or tips so I just filled up bags with different colored frosting and snipped the corner off. Be careful to cut off just the teeniest tiniest corner to start with, you can always make it bigger if needed, but the icing can get a little runny and you will have a big mess on your hands (literally) before you know it.

•  Tips: Again- I won't bother teaching you the ins and outs of cooking making, because there are about a million real bakers out there who would give better advice- but I will say make sure you have enough time. I started in the evening on Saturday just making all the cookies, and then frosting was an all day event (with a couple of hours in between rounds to let everything dry). It's worth the time, and the mess, but know what you're getting into. 

And because it wouldn't be a Bowdenism recipe attempt if I didn't completely botch something- I feel compelled to warn you about the glitter and shine of it all. Fail. Big time. My hearts with bold hot pink glitter pretty much turned out awesome (ok...it's kind of hard to mess that up) but I struggled when it came time to add the metallic layer and "diamond dust" detail. I'm not sure if I had the wrong stuff, if my ratios were off, or what the problem was, but my silver and gold never even came close to working. In the end, I brushed the cookies with my weak glitter sauce (that's a technical term) anyway, which really only caused the icing to spread and melt, turned the grey to slightly purple, and ruin the smooth dry finish of the icing. But in the grand scheme of things, that extra step didn't make or break the entire project. I'm still proud of the overall result, and the most important part is....

Erin is getting married! To Jake! Yay!

 

As it turns out, I can't go a whole post without 

posting pictures of my baby. Sorry. Not sorry.

Congrats you two! I wish you many, many happy years....with sprinkles on top!

P.s. Erin has started a blog to record all their adventures on their way to wedded bliss. Scoot on over and congratulate the happy couple!

Take it Outside

Saturday was one of those days that was so beautiful, that no matter how tired you are, how many chores you have to do, or what errands you want to run, there seems to be an audible voice ordering you to go outside. We had a to-do list in mind, but when your given a day as perfect as this, there's no arguing- you simply must drop everything and take the baby to the park. Not negotiable. So we scarfed down some lunch, I pushed off my desperately needed nap, and the three of us headed out to enjoy an afternoon stroll.

Miss Pip was excited for her first spin in the new stroller. (we received it before she was even born, but until now we've been using her carseat stroller, or a hand-me-down jogger) I was a little worried about committing to the new ride- but she settled in quickly, and we bumped happily along the park path without an issue.

But as much as she liked her stoller- she was slightly less enthused about the slide:

(P.s. Either she's a monster, or that is the shortest slide in public park history...)

She warmed up once we got to the tic tac toe board though. She's pretty much obsessed with standing, so anything that assists her with that goal is fine in her book.

But soon standing wasn't enough...she wanted to be on the move. And Dustin was all too happy to help her climb like the big kids.

 

I distracted myself from the imminent danger and certain death by taking pictures. 

  

Lots of pictures. 

 

Eventually though, the daredevils tired of defying death, and moved on to more manageable pursuits, crawling around in the plastic tunnels on the lower level.

 

 

 And of course it wouldn't be a trip to the park without some swinging, and some snuggling. 

I've got my fingers crossed that Summer has a few more afternoons like this up her sleeve.

Sugar Mama

Sometimes the internet blows my mind a little- ok, a lot. I can't seem to fathom how infinitely big the web is (I mean, I know it's world wide...) so the idea that anyone would stumble upon little old me in the great cyberspace abyss is hard to imagine. So I was shocked and thrilled when I heard that the site Lil Sugar (Part of internet powerhouse Pop Sugar) wanted to feature Piper's nursery. And I was even more shocked and even more thrilled when I saw they did a whole slide show and write up, featuring all our DIY details!

Coolest chalkboard gallery wall ever?! You're too kind....

Check it out on Lil Sugar.

Freeze

In the last few weeks, Piper seems to have flipped her growth switch to warp speed, and I'm officially against it. I go through stages with my "sappy mom-ness", but it's been a while since I had a Must Stop This Now type of panic. I can remember the end stages of pregnancy, wanting to freeze time- just stop right there and live in a perma-pregnant limbo, savoring the hope, possibility, and joy of our current stage. I felt it again when Piper was three months old- It was time for me to go back to work, and I was just not ready. I couldn't do it. To think of time moving on, to a place where I wasn't able to snuggle my sweet newborn all day (and don't tell me she wasn't a newborn anymore! My heart couldn't take it!) just wasn't an option. And now, I'm feeling those familiar pangs. So far haven't escalated to full on panic, and I have yet to shed tears over mah BAYby growing up before my very eyes, but I wouldn't rule out a meltdown just yet. She seems to be sprinting (if not literally...) towards her first birthday, and the thought of my chubby, floppy, snuffly, snuggly, snoozy, little infant turning into a walking, talking, sassing, independent, BIG creature just doesn't sit right with me.

For a while I was actually willing her to grow. I knew the baby stage would be fleeting, but the constant exhaustion (emotional and physical) of life with a newborn seemed more than I could take at times. I worried that I wasn't meant to be a mom of babies. That somehow I wasn't cut out for that stage, and God should have found a way to skip a few chapters after the pregnancy part, and give me a kid I could reason with (yes, I still believe an older child means a more reasonable child. Let me live in that version of reality for a little bit longer). With each milestone it got a little easier. She began eating a liiiiiitle bit less, and sleeping a liiiiitle bit more. She could hold a toy. She could sit on her own. She could tolerate the car seat without screaming bloody murder. These were good strides. These were progress. She was still every bit my baby, she was just softening some of her rough edges. (allowing me to smooth back into a life I just barely recognized) But then- it was the rolling. And the scooting. And the crawling. And the standing. And the climbing. The transition to mobility happened in a literal blink of an eye (seriously- it wasn't happening. And then: Boom! It was.) I had previously looked forward to this stage, witnessing Piper's frustration at so many of her dreams being just out of her reach (and by "dreams", I of course mean food, and/or toys, and/or toys that might also be food.) I dreaded the responsibility and worry of baby-proofing, but I looked forward to a bit more independence- for both of us. 

Well, be careful what you wish for, I suppose. Because I am now a mama of a baby on the move. And this mama is worried about just how fast that baby is moving....away....

It's not that I'm not proud of her, or happy to see her learning and growing. It's actually the opposite. She's so fun. So smart. So charming, so goofy, so adorable, so her...that I want to freeze this magical slice of nine-month heaven and bask in its perfect balance. She's my big girl, and my baby. She cranes her neck to see over my shoulder to take in the sights beyond me, and she climbs over piles of pillows to trust-fall into my arms for a snuggle. She shovels fists full of food into her mouth, holding up gooey fingers to "share" her snack, and she nurses sweetly in the faint light of dawn, her delicate lashes fluttering as she drifts back to sleep. 

I hoped for this stage. I dreamed of this stage. I worked for this, I waited for this, I cried for this, I earned this. And for as long as possible, I want to stay in this. 

{31 Things} Day 13: Chores

The word "chores" may bring to mind something kids do to earn their allowance, but truthfully, I'm learning that chores are actually an unavoidable part of being an adult. I love a clean house (you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't) but I really just don't love cleaning (again, not exactly a rare sentiment). I thought it would grow on me as I emerged from my lazy teenage years, but alas I'm still waiting for my inner neat freak to show herself. I'm beginning to doubt she's in there...

One thing I do love is to organize and sort. If there's a task that enables me to make order quickly out of chaos, then I'm a happy girl. So I embrace jobs like emptying the dishwasher, folding laundry and tidying up and sorting messes into piles to be put away. The catch for me is that everything needs to have its "place" or the organization just turns into shifting junk from one temporary spot to another. When something doesn't have a home- or outgrows its designated area- I struggle to keep up with the chaos, leading to a losing battle against the clutter.

After Dustin and I got married, I quickly learned that while there was now twice the mess, there were also double the hands to take care of it- and I got the bonus of marrying a husband who is not only cleaner, but also more hardworking than I am. (I think I make up for it in other areas...like being so charming he forgets that he pretty much got the short end of the marriage stick. Love you babe!) There are a fair amount of chores (grocery shopping, cooking, laundry, dishes) that we more or less split, and a couple jobs (dusting, vacuuming) that we both avoid until absolutely necessary- i.e. until company is coming and our house has become embarrassing. But for a lot of tasks I strongly believe in a division of labor, and have become an advocate of Boy Jobs and Girl Jobs. A quick selection of tasks:

Boy Jobs

Taking out the trash

Yard work

Paying bills

Cleaning the bathroom

Taking care of the cars (oil changes etc.)

Killing stink bugs

Washing baby bottles 

Girl Jobs

Making the grocery list

Buying/sending cards and presents

Feeding the baby (not exactly a chore, but is the fair counterpoint to all that bottle washing)

Ummm...probably some other really important things

You know...stuff. That I do. 

Party planning?

So, yeah. In my head this system seems like an easy way to divide and conquer household tasks, but when it comes down to writing the list I realize that perhaps it's less Boy vs. Girl, and more Things I Don't Like Doing vs. Things I Do That Barely Count as Chores. I also realize that I'm extremely lucky to have a husband that humors my cleaning excuses ("I can't do laundry- I'm scared of the basement!" "You have to mow the lawn- I'm allergic to grass!") and pitches in without complaint. (Truth be told I'm probably not quite as lazy as this list suggests, but Dustin does definitely deserves some sort of medal for putting up with me sometimes.)

Having a baby has lead to a whole new world of to-do lists, as well as an updated standard of clean. On the one hand, some things have just had to slide a bit, as we focus on bigger priorities, but on the other, Piper generates more messes than the two of us combined, and her tiny curious hands (and mouth) demands we pay attention to cleanliness in ways we could have previously avoided. Recently, I've been thinking about hiring someone to come help out a bit. I'm torn on the idea because it seems so spoiled and I hate to spend money on something I could (or should!) do myself. But at the same time, it's about evaluating what I'd rather spend my time on at this stage of our lives. I'm often inclined to think that working full time takes me away from Piper enough, so weekends shouldn't be filled with endless mountains of chores and cleaning checklists. {Spoiler alert...after I wrote this we went ahead and bit the bullet, and hired a woman to come clean twice a month. More like spoiled alert.}

But for now we continue to muddle through. The workload ebs and flows. Sometimes we are on top of things, with a relatively tidy house, a well stocked fridge, and closets full of clean clothes...And sometimes it's a miracle if we can find three clean bottles for Piper's daycare bag, and get out the door without tripping over a week's worth of clutter. Real Simple isn't exactly breaking down my door asking for my household management tips, but for now, that's ok. After all, it's only about five years before Piper's going to want an allowance, and you'd better believe we're going to make her earn her keep around here (I kid! Kinda...)

A Peck of Piper Pictures

Sometimes I'm pretty wordy...(ok- maybe more than sometimes)...but every once in a while I'm rendered (almost) speechless. I just want to freeze time. Soak up these moments. Savor the sweet sweet sweetness that is my nine month old pipsqueak. She's pretty much the best, amiright?

I love her to pieces. 

Forever and ever, the end.